When Rose's mother dies, her only comfort is the exquisite rose garden her mother left behind. The purple blossoms serve as an assurance of her mother's love. But Rose is dealt a second blow when her father dies and his greedy widow, Ombrine, and her daughter, Desirée, move in and take over the manor in true Cinderella fashion.

Fate has been c"ONCE UPON A TIME" IS TIMELESS

When Rose's mother dies, her only comfort is the exquisite rose garden her mother left behind. The purple blossoms serve as an assurance of her mother's love. But Rose is dealt a second blow when her father dies and his greedy widow, Ombrine, and her daughter, Desirée, move in and take over the manor in true Cinderella fashion.

Fate has been cruel to Ombrine and Desirée, too. So despite their harsh ways, Rose has compassion. But these feelings are bitterly tested when, in a rage, Ombrine tears out the garden. Rose nearly gives up all hope--until a chance meeting with the king. Happiness might be within her reach, but first she must prevail over Ombrine. And then she must determine if she has the courage to love....more

1.5 stars. A retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" though it felt more like "Cinderella meets Bambi" to me. In the Author's Note, it claims that the book was inspired, in part, by the movie Ever After. Which, by the way, is fantastic and because I've seen that movie more times than I can remember, I could certainly draw some comparisons, especially in the beginning of the book. Like when, barring one word, there is a small line directly from the movie. Some events and themes were st1.5 stars. A retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" though it felt more like "Cinderella meets Bambi" to me. In the Author's Note, it claims that the book was inspired, in part, by the movie Ever After. Which, by the way, is fantastic and because I've seen that movie more times than I can remember, I could certainly draw some comparisons, especially in the beginning of the book. Like when, barring one word, there is a small line directly from the movie. Some events and themes were straight out of Ever After. That being said: don't read this book and use your time wisely. Watch Ever After.

(view spoiler)[Rose's mother dies. Her father remarries. Her father dies of a heart attack. Her step-mother, Ombrine, and her step-sister, Desirée, make Rose into a Cinderella. I know that Rose's life was pretty miserable but it not fun to read about the main character when all she\he\it does is weep, whine, or be a wuss. Rose predominantly wept. (And I swear, if I read the line, "You are loved, the roses whispered\said\insisted," one more time.....I am going to scream. That line was in the book numerous times. We know that the roses were a sign of Rose's mother's love for Rose. We know!) So then the King's wife and child die in childbirth and he is heartbroken. He then sees a portrait of Rose, who looks exactly like his dead wife and he requests that she come to the castle. But Desirée takes Rose's shape\place and Rose is saved from death by Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and gets turned into a deer. Bambi!! Desirée marries the King. Rose falls in love with the King instantly as soon as she sees him in her deer form.

Insta-love again!? Really? The King pours out his life secrets to the little doe that follows him around. Freaking Bambi. Sorcery and a mysterious god of shadows, who pops into the story from no where. Artemis saves Rose by eliminating Ombrine and Desirée. Rose is turned back into a human girl. The King and Rose court for two pages and three months. They get married. I was bored to death. None of the characters did anything for me. Nothing interesting happened ever. I found absolutely nothing interesting in this for me. Nothing is explained. Like how Rose was a carbon copy of King's dead wife? "Oh, well, the gods may or may not have done this as a gift for the King Jean-Marc. But no one knows."Why did Artemis care so much about Rose?Who was the god of shadows? Why was he there? What were his motives?Why did Ombrine and Desirée so desperately want to be in the Evil League of Sorcery?Nothing made any sense. Not Recommended. (hide spoiler)]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

Very confused by the French-speaking, Greek-god-worshipping society. And the requests for children directed at Artemis (seems to me if you want to pray to someone for a kid, you might not want to direct said prayer to a virgin maiden goddess who's not too keen on the opposite sex, particularly when they spy on her in the bath).

Setting, cultural, and religious issues aside, this story is so very centered around the many (and I do mean MANY) trials and tribulations of Rose, a hard-working, long-suVery confused by the French-speaking, Greek-god-worshipping society. And the requests for children directed at Artemis (seems to me if you want to pray to someone for a kid, you might not want to direct said prayer to a virgin maiden goddess who's not too keen on the opposite sex, particularly when they spy on her in the bath).

Setting, cultural, and religious issues aside, this story is so very centered around the many (and I do mean MANY) trials and tribulations of Rose, a hard-working, long-suffering Cinderella figure who has very little other than her self-indulgent righteousness to recommend her. Evveyone hurts her, belittles her, torments her, makes her life So Very Hard, and yet she must persevere, which basically means little more than Getting The Guy (whom she initially gets only because she is, for some inexplicable reason, the exact physical copy of his dead wife).

Kudos for Rose's determination to be truly loved before she gives her heart away (i.e., being a dead-ringer for the king's dead wife isn't enough to make her prepared to marry him); however, the rest of this mess of a story is just one giant, self-pitying woe piled up on top of another.

I haven't read the original fairy tale on which this story is based, and if this book is any indication, I'm not missing much....more

This was the absolute WORST book I have read in a long time! Rose who is put on this "journey" to know that she is loved, loses her mother, father, everthing she loves. She is starved, abused, and ends up with a Stepmother and stepsister that put Cinderella's Stepmother and sisters to shame. And the supposed HERO of this book is some stupid heartbroken guy that ends up hoodwinked by the evil steps and married and sleeping with the evil stepsister. NOT COOL!! This whole book was painful to read aThis was the absolute WORST book I have read in a long time! Rose who is put on this "journey" to know that she is loved, loses her mother, father, everthing she loves. She is starved, abused, and ends up with a Stepmother and stepsister that put Cinderella's Stepmother and sisters to shame. And the supposed HERO of this book is some stupid heartbroken guy that ends up hoodwinked by the evil steps and married and sleeping with the evil stepsister. NOT COOL!! This whole book was painful to read and the context was poorly written, and confussing at best. I wasted my time reading the first half of this book hoping it would improve only to find myself wishing the end would happen soon, so I could get on with my life....more

By far this is the worst book of the Once Upon a Time series, and for several reasons.

1) Far too convoluted. It's like the author took fifty pages of back-story and crammed it in to five pages.

2) So the people in the story speak French, worship Greek/Roman gods (incorrectly), and dress like they live in some weird Renaissance-like world.... Wha-?

3) The descriptive paragraphs/back-story are horrifically complicated, but then we are graced with dialogue like: "True love never dies - it lives beyonBy far this is the worst book of the Once Upon a Time series, and for several reasons.

1) Far too convoluted. It's like the author took fifty pages of back-story and crammed it in to five pages.

2) So the people in the story speak French, worship Greek/Roman gods (incorrectly), and dress like they live in some weird Renaissance-like world.... Wha-?

3) The descriptive paragraphs/back-story are horrifically complicated, but then we are graced with dialogue like: "True love never dies - it lives beyond the grave in the heart of the beloved."

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Genre: retold fairytales, fantasySummary: Rose's mother exchanges her life so that Rose will know the meaning of true love. This book is an odd mixture of Greek mythology and French fairy tales. With the death of her mother, Rose is an orphan because her father dies shortly after he hears of his wife's death, raised by an evil stepmother and stepsisters who make bargains with sorcerers and the God of Shadows. The king of the land lost his young wife and when he sees a portrait of Rose (painted bGenre: retold fairytales, fantasySummary: Rose's mother exchanges her life so that Rose will know the meaning of true love. This book is an odd mixture of Greek mythology and French fairy tales. With the death of her mother, Rose is an orphan because her father dies shortly after he hears of his wife's death, raised by an evil stepmother and stepsisters who make bargains with sorcerers and the God of Shadows. The king of the land lost his young wife and when he sees a portrait of Rose (painted by an artist who stumbled upon her) he wants to marry her because she is the exact look-alike of his dead wife. Rose's stepsister and stepmother use magic to hide the stepsister's face to look like Rose. Rose is changed into a deer by Artemis. The plot comes to a head when the King calls a hunt to go after the Rose-deer. He cannot kill it however, and the fake Queen tries to finish the deed when she is killed by an arrow from Artemis. Rose marries the King and they live happily ever after.Response: This was a silly book. Normally, I like retold fairytales. Normally, I like fantasy. However, there must be a limit to the ridiculousness. French names and mannerisms DO NOT mix with Greek myths and legends. Keep the cultures separate, please. There was too many trials for Rose for her to learn the value of "true love," it didn't seem like a fair bargain. Not my favorite book in the world....more

So I've never read or heard of "The White Bride and the Black Bride," but I decided to still read this book. When I read the synopsis, I realized that it sounds a lot like "Cinderella." In both the mother dies, father remarries, the stepmother is terrible, the father dies, and the stepfamily hate the daughter. The only thing that keeps me from thinking that they're the same stories is that "Cinderella" is French and this story is German.

I started off liking this book pretty well. I felt bad forSo I've never read or heard of "The White Bride and the Black Bride," but I decided to still read this book. When I read the synopsis, I realized that it sounds a lot like "Cinderella." In both the mother dies, father remarries, the stepmother is terrible, the father dies, and the stepfamily hate the daughter. The only thing that keeps me from thinking that they're the same stories is that "Cinderella" is French and this story is German.

I started off liking this book pretty well. I felt bad for Rose, both of her parents were dead and she had to put up with her stepmother, Ombrine, and sister, Desiree, who treated her terribly. They only things she has left are her nurse, who Ombrine eventually fires, the statue of Artemis, and the purple roses that grew in the garden after her mother's death. The other story that happens is of a young king whose wife dies during her pregnancy.

I was worried from the beginning that Rose and the king would end up together, but I'll get to that later. Rose grows up and when tended to her roses, her long lost half-brother shows up. They don't realize who each other is, but he buys some of the flowers. Rose looks just like the dead queen, so the king has her sent to him. However, Rose goes missing and Ombrine uses magic to make Desiree look like her stepsister. Desiree, pretending to be Rose, and the king marry. Rose was turned into a doe, and watches all of this happen.

After a couple months, Desiree pretends to be pregnant and tells the king to kill Rose the deer, who he has become close with. While trying to kill Rose, Desiree is killed and her glamor falls. Rose turns into a human again and the king realizes his mistake. Rose could have stayed a deer and become the mate of the deer leader (?), but she chooses to become a human. They don't get married, because Rose doesn't want to. However, the eventually do get married. I was not happy about that.

I can't believe I used a Taylor Sift gif cause I can't stand that bitch.

[image error]

But I love Anderson Cooper!

I'll add a third!!

RoseI liked you, until you married the king. Dumbass. He only likes you cause you look like his DEAD WIFE!!!

Ombrine/DesireeThey're pretty much the same person and I hated them both.

The KingI think his name was Jean-Marc or something, but I think it should be Dick-Head instead.

Overall, I didn't like this and the only thing enjoyable was the purple roses. I love roses so much! I hope the other books in this collection can lift my spirits!

The good:The writing's not too bad, and once the story starts rolling, it gets interesting.

The bad:Lack of knowledge of history. Did Holder not take history in high school? I'll admit my knowledge of European history isn't too great for anything before War of the Roses, but a quick trip to Google showed me that when Greeks lived in France, they weren't in "France" and they didn't speak French. The French did not worship Greek Gods as faSo I had to tough this one out until about seventy pages in.

The good:The writing's not too bad, and once the story starts rolling, it gets interesting.

The bad:Lack of knowledge of history. Did Holder not take history in high school? I'll admit my knowledge of European history isn't too great for anything before War of the Roses, but a quick trip to Google showed me that when Greeks lived in France, they weren't in "France" and they didn't speak French. The French did not worship Greek Gods as far as I know, and this seems to take place in the time periods I learned about in AP Euro. I think the story would have been just as interesting set in Ancient Greece, and so if Holder really wanted Greek gods, she should have set it then and there rather than France.

Also, I despise when people throw in tidbits of whatever language the characters are speaking. The book's in English. Write it in English. It's assumed that they're speaking French if they're in France. If you throw in French randomly, it's like they weren't speaking French the whole time.

The ugly:The characters were very inconsistent, especially the main character. Rose was strong only when the story needed her to be. Until the end, she kept bouncing between, "I'm a strong character!" and "My life sucks. Boo hoo hoo." I understand being downtrodden, but the changes were so sudden it was like swapping one mask for another. There was no real transition. I see what the author was trying to do, though she might not have been up to the task....more

"The White Bride and the Black Bride" is a lesser known fairytale from the Brothers Grimm. It's basically another interpretation of the little cinder girl. That being said, this book has accomplished a feat few other books have: It made me cry.

Rose Marchand is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and his second wife. On her thirteenth birthday, while Rose's father is away, her mother presents her with a beautiful garden filled with purple roses. But straight after, her mother passes away. And her"The White Bride and the Black Bride" is a lesser known fairytale from the Brothers Grimm. It's basically another interpretation of the little cinder girl. That being said, this book has accomplished a feat few other books have: It made me cry.

Rose Marchand is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and his second wife. On her thirteenth birthday, while Rose's father is away, her mother presents her with a beautiful garden filled with purple roses. But straight after, her mother passes away. And her father doesn't come home for months.

When Rose hears that her father is on his way home, she rides out to meet him. But later, she's told that her father too has died, and his third wife Ombrine, along with her teenaged daughter Desiree, move in and take over the manor. But instead of being spiteful, Rose is compassionate, because Ombrine and Desiree have experienced misfortune as well.

However, it becomes clear that Rose's only friend is her godmother Elise. But soon, Ombrine dismisses the servants and even tears down the rose garden to save money. Rose isn't sure if she can sink any lower, until she hears that she might be a candidate to be the second wife of King Jean-Marc. But before she can finally live happily ever after, she'll have to outwit her stepmother and stepsister.

This was a beautiful book. The imagery, the prose, everything about it moved me to the point of tears, which rarely happens when I read books.

This is definitely not the best of the Once Upon a Time stories. I confess I'm not terribly familiar with the original fairy tale. I know I've read it before, but I don't really remember it.

I've found this series in general to be rather hit-or-miss, and this book was definitely in the latter category. It had potential, and there were even some things I enjoyed about it. I liked some of the imagery, for example.

I'll admit that the writing style threw me quite a bit. I'm actually a huge fan of GreThis is definitely not the best of the Once Upon a Time stories. I confess I'm not terribly familiar with the original fairy tale. I know I've read it before, but I don't really remember it.

I've found this series in general to be rather hit-or-miss, and this book was definitely in the latter category. It had potential, and there were even some things I enjoyed about it. I liked some of the imagery, for example.

I'll admit that the writing style threw me quite a bit. I'm actually a huge fan of Greek mythology, but my brain somehow refused to wrap itself around the mythology in this book. It seemed fairly contradictory.

In parts, I found the author seemed to try a little too hard to be "flowery" with her prose. I am a reasonably intelligent adult, or so I flatter myself, but there were some paragraphs I had to re-read to get a sense of what was going on.

The very first chapter is Prologue, and it begins, "In the Land Beyond...Crown Prince Jean-Marc, son of His Royal Majesty Henri III, Heir to the Throne of the Land Beyond, Beloved of Zeus...Now, maybe it's because I've just re-read the Percy Jackson series, but I had to sit and wonder if this was supposed to be a "real" world event of if the Land Beyond should be considered to exist as a part of mythology, itself. Like this world's Lane of Faerie. Every time the kingdom was named, my brain wanted to interpret it as some Other land, apart from the world in which the book was set. I don't know why, except that I think that the clash of cultures was something that my mind flatly refused to accept.

It's not a bad book. It is filled with Very Bad Things that happen to the heroine. There are many, many Very Bad Things. I confess I skimmed through many pages, as I found the book dragged a bit. Partly, no doubt, because the strange clash of cultures and my brain's insistence upon interpreting the Land Beyond as a realm of fairy people or something...well, it made it hard to get into the book.

I'm also not a huge an of some of the prose, as I said, which certainly didn't help.

It is not a bad book, honestly, it just wasn't my cup of tea. So far, it was my least favorite of the Once Upon a Time books, and I'm quite glad to be through it....more

From the first book I picked up I've liked the Once upon a Time series, and I've always loved retellings of fairy tales. I found this particular book at a thrift store, and promptly picked it up because of the others.

One of the things I liked about these reworkings was, even though the books claimed it was based on one fairy tale, they were almost always a mix of two or more fairy tales. While this one is a reworking of 'The White Bride and the Black Bride', it is also has aspects of 'CinderellaFrom the first book I picked up I've liked the Once upon a Time series, and I've always loved retellings of fairy tales. I found this particular book at a thrift store, and promptly picked it up because of the others.

One of the things I liked about these reworkings was, even though the books claimed it was based on one fairy tale, they were almost always a mix of two or more fairy tales. While this one is a reworking of 'The White Bride and the Black Bride', it is also has aspects of 'Cinderella'.

It's a clever retelling, taking place in a world both familiar and foreign, and the characters are giving both depth and reality then in the original stories. One thing I didn't care for was how for much of the book the heroine just suffered, without really doing anything for herself. Things happened to her while she made very little happen herself, which annoyed me. The pacing is also painfully slow, taking the entire first half of the book to retell what has been summarized on the back cover. And two characters' backstories are left with no explanation, which makes the story as a whole feel hallow.

I really do like what the series is doing, and the books are short and easy to read so I recommend every one of them. Though far from my favorite in the series, this one does make for a good quick read....more

Rose is a sort of Cinderella. Her mother dies when she is young, her father remarries to a completely unsuitable woman with a daughter of her own and then dies, and Rose is mistreated by her new stepmother. But Cinderella didn't have all this stuff about Artemis the Goddess and have her turn into a deer.

Several other reviewers here on LT, plus my own daughter, complained about the odd mesh between the Greek mythology and a fairyThemes: love, religion, magic, fairy talesSetting: fairy tale France

Rose is a sort of Cinderella. Her mother dies when she is young, her father remarries to a completely unsuitable woman with a daughter of her own and then dies, and Rose is mistreated by her new stepmother. But Cinderella didn't have all this stuff about Artemis the Goddess and have her turn into a deer.

Several other reviewers here on LT, plus my own daughter, complained about the odd mesh between the Greek mythology and a fairy tale called "The White Bride and the Black Bride," which I'd never heard of before. But I didn't listen, because I had this on my list, and because I often enjoy this series. My mistake. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't good. Maybe the story makes sense to the writer, but it wasn't doing it for me. Plus Rose is such a drip! Whine, whine, whine, my life is awful, nobody loves me, whine, whine, whine. Get some backbone, already! Not worth reading....more

I normally love retellings of old fairy tales, but this one was not good. There was enough french in the story that it would be confusing to anyone without a passing knowledge of french, and there were many things not rapped up. Several pages from the end actually, a lot of these untied endings are brought up in a question format before the book ends without either having answered them or using a cop out such as "the gods only know why." I appreciated the Greek mythology used in the book (for thI normally love retellings of old fairy tales, but this one was not good. There was enough french in the story that it would be confusing to anyone without a passing knowledge of french, and there were many things not rapped up. Several pages from the end actually, a lot of these untied endings are brought up in a question format before the book ends without either having answered them or using a cop out such as "the gods only know why." I appreciated the Greek mythology used in the book (for those who argue Artemis shouldn't be prayed to for children, while she's the goddess of virgins she is also the goddess of mothers and childbirth), however mixing witchcraft with Greek mythology led to a confused sense of how magic works in this setting, and the story drug on for too long on Rose's demise in her castle.

I feel this book had some nice concepts, but ended up being too confusing for an enjoyable read. ...more

Wow, I was unfamiliar with this tale (a retelling of the story of the black bride and the white bride) and maybe that was my mistake. We all know that fairy tales have happy endings but usually have some hardship in between the intro and the "happily ever after," but this story was ridiculous. The events making up the majority of the book were so dismal and depressing that it wasn't worth reading for the very abbreviated "happy ending." As the reader I was left so shaken by all of the rest of thWow, I was unfamiliar with this tale (a retelling of the story of the black bride and the white bride) and maybe that was my mistake. We all know that fairy tales have happy endings but usually have some hardship in between the intro and the "happily ever after," but this story was ridiculous. The events making up the majority of the book were so dismal and depressing that it wasn't worth reading for the very abbreviated "happy ending." As the reader I was left so shaken by all of the rest of the book that I couldn't recover at the end to enjoy it. This is a loose interpretation of the story, which I looked up and discovered to be somewhat different, but not much happier, though since the original was shorter there wasn't the time for as many excruciating events to take place as in the book. The "morality" or lessons of the book were also vague, strange and unhelpful....more

A very confusing fairy tale full of insta-love and promises that make no sense. Pretty much, if you request anything of Artemis she will probably kill you off...while claiming you as a best beloved. Mix of gods that made no sense (and lets face, even when they did make sense those 'gods' were utterly useless)and characters that are Evil For No Apparent Purpose (oh, except that their 'hearts were closed by hardship') Oh, and there is also a bunch of freaking talking roses.I seriously was confusedA very confusing fairy tale full of insta-love and promises that make no sense. Pretty much, if you request anything of Artemis she will probably kill you off...while claiming you as a best beloved. Mix of gods that made no sense (and lets face, even when they did make sense those 'gods' were utterly useless)and characters that are Evil For No Apparent Purpose (oh, except that their 'hearts were closed by hardship') Oh, and there is also a bunch of freaking talking roses.I seriously was confused with the King's age...I thought he was a lot older than Rose. The King Deer guy was super random/awkward. Rose is presented with all these hardships and dumb options...like 'to remain a deer for life'. Anyway, not the best Once Upon A Time...that's for sure. ...more

This is a strange strange book. I've never read the original fairy tale for this one, but I wonder if the original could possibly be as strange. A bit like Cinderella, the main character has a wicked step mother and wicked step sister who try to take the prince/king away from her. It's a really bizarre tale of love and hate, good and evil, deers and purple roses, and the goddess Artemis... whose methods of teaching seem to me to be about the same as a tricky leprechaun. Overall it was good-ish.This is a strange strange book. I've never read the original fairy tale for this one, but I wonder if the original could possibly be as strange. A bit like Cinderella, the main character has a wicked step mother and wicked step sister who try to take the prince/king away from her. It's a really bizarre tale of love and hate, good and evil, deers and purple roses, and the goddess Artemis... whose methods of teaching seem to me to be about the same as a tricky leprechaun. Overall it was good-ish. If you like simple short novels with magic and fairy-tales and if you're not expecting some great novel, it might be quite enjoyable for you....more

I don't think this book is for everyone. It shows how life kicks someone repeatedly and in how many ways they may suffer, or about Greek gods and their meddling in mortal affairs. I don't like either, so this book is definitely not for me. It has too much suffering, grief, and loss. A story I can't relate to but may understand a little.

I wish to congratulate the author on writing such a novel. According to Nancy Holder, "... by writing about the Rose Bride’s journey, my hope was to show that whI don't think this book is for everyone. It shows how life kicks someone repeatedly and in how many ways they may suffer, or about Greek gods and their meddling in mortal affairs. I don't like either, so this book is definitely not for me. It has too much suffering, grief, and loss. A story I can't relate to but may understand a little.

I wish to congratulate the author on writing such a novel. According to Nancy Holder, "... by writing about the Rose Bride’s journey, my hope was to show that while love may not conquer all, it can heal all." And she adds, "... Joy and despair are both very strong forces in us, and so I want to say to you, if your path seems too dark for you, fear not. Keep going. If you stop, you stop in shadow. If you move forward, you will find sunlight beyond the black. I know this for a fact." Such a strong message! It definitely reached me. :) But the execution could have been better.

This was an interesting reading experience because I was not familiar with the source material for this book, the fairy tale "The White Bride and the Black Bride." So I pulled out my trusty The Complete Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm, Volume 1 and read it right before venturing in to this novel. (Reading the original, I can see why this story doesn't get a ton of attention anymore. Although meant to be "metaphorical," its depiction of the "white bride" as being good and the "black bride" as beingThis was an interesting reading experience because I was not familiar with the source material for this book, the fairy tale "The White Bride and the Black Bride." So I pulled out my trusty The Complete Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm, Volume 1 and read it right before venturing in to this novel. (Reading the original, I can see why this story doesn't get a ton of attention anymore. Although meant to be "metaphorical," its depiction of the "white bride" as being good and the "black bride" as being bad comes across as somewhat racist.)

Since this story was not part of my cultural consciousness the way more common fairy tales are, I was particularly surprised when certain elements that seemed crucial in the original were disregarded in this rendition. It really ended up feeling like a bit of a mash up between "Cinderella" and "The Goose Girl," since it played up the original's elements of an abusive stepfamily and a case of mistaken/stolen identity.

The writing is adequate, if a bit flowery in places (no pun intended), and I was somewhat confused by the author's choice to set it in France but to have the characters worship Greek gods. I don't know enough French history to place this historically, although I assume at some point the Roman occupation probably came into play. I would have liked an author's note to explain this choice, such as Donna Jo Napoli provides in Bound. With all the deaths and other horrible things that happened to Rose, the story did come across as melodramatic at times. I think that comes from the strange juxtaposition of this feeling like a "light" read even though it deals with the rather heavy subject matter of grief. And if the god I worshiped answered my prayers the way Artemis answers the prayers of Rose's dying mother, I think I would start seeking a new religion pronto, even if it does "all turn out all right in the end." I never felt completely certain that the destination was worth the harrowing journey in this case.

I would have liked further exploration of the case of "mistaken identity" between the King's deceased wife and Rose -- she was apparently her "twin" in looks, although they were around the same age and so she could not have been a reincarnation, and there was no indication they were actually twins separated at birth. I am glad that Rose realized the importance of the King coming to love her for who she was rather than as a balm to his grief over his late wife. I wonder if there are other retellings that focus more on this aspect of the story. If not, perhaps I will have to write one!...more

I didn't like this book. Not because it was badly written or completely failed as a story, but because the underlying premise is something I so fundamentally disagree with that it completely ruined any attempt at a story. That the only way to really recognize you are loved or were loved is to lose absolutely everything that you love or that ever loved you. The constant repeat of "You are loved" as a justification for everything that happens or an attempt to make everything okay just makes it worI didn't like this book. Not because it was badly written or completely failed as a story, but because the underlying premise is something I so fundamentally disagree with that it completely ruined any attempt at a story. That the only way to really recognize you are loved or were loved is to lose absolutely everything that you love or that ever loved you. The constant repeat of "You are loved" as a justification for everything that happens or an attempt to make everything okay just makes it worse. Faced with this constantly repeated yet untenable basis I couldn't even recognize the story's other flaws. I Remember my dislike/distaste so much that years later when I came across it again I couldn't even make myself try reading it again.

Rose's father never comes home from his travels and her mother is left at the family estate to care for her. After her mother makes a magical wish to the godess Artemis, she dies. Not long after, Rose's father dies too. Rose's stepmother and stepsister take over the family home and treat Rose like a servant. All she has left is her mother's magical purple rose garden.

I really enjoyed the book but found the setting confusing: people were worshiping GrThis was a really interesting and lovely book!

Rose's father never comes home from his travels and her mother is left at the family estate to care for her. After her mother makes a magical wish to the godess Artemis, she dies. Not long after, Rose's father dies too. Rose's stepmother and stepsister take over the family home and treat Rose like a servant. All she has left is her mother's magical purple rose garden.

I really enjoyed the book but found the setting confusing: people were worshiping Greek gods and dressing themselves in togas but were speaking french. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance and fantasy!

This was the fourth time that I've read this book. It's one of those books that I have in paperback form and on my kindle. I read it while I was traveling through Europe. (That was why I bought it for my Kindle.)

The first time I read this was at a time in my life where the message was exactly what I needed to hear. I remember crying clear through, because it was something that hit me to the core.

Rose's family has all died and her evil step-mother an step-sister treat her with disdain. Rose isThis was the fourth time that I've read this book. It's one of those books that I have in paperback form and on my kindle. I read it while I was traveling through Europe. (That was why I bought it for my Kindle.)

The first time I read this was at a time in my life where the message was exactly what I needed to hear. I remember crying clear through, because it was something that hit me to the core.

Rose's family has all died and her evil step-mother an step-sister treat her with disdain. Rose is devastated. There is a part in the story where Rose feels like she is going to crumble. She doesn't feel that it is humanely possible for her to go on, but she does.

That is the message of the story - that even though life sucks and we are hit with the most terrible sorrows, somehow, we find the strength to keep going. Rose lets her sorrow transform her into someone kinder and more full of love. It's up to us. We can let our sorrows harden us, or let them make us kinder.

I love this beautiful story. I'm not saying it's the most exciting or even the best written, but it's one that I need. ...more

That’s the first thing I did after turning the last page of “The Rose Bride”. Don’t get me wrong; this book had a pretty good start but most of it dragged on. For a supposed short story, this took up quite a lot of pages; and I’m never a fan of slow paced books.

I’m well aware of the original tale of “The White Bride and The Black Bride” and this book has taken in the concept very well. It was mixed in with a little mythology, which I found to be interesting. It also has this Cinderella-A shrug.

That’s the first thing I did after turning the last page of “The Rose Bride”. Don’t get me wrong; this book had a pretty good start but most of it dragged on. For a supposed short story, this took up quite a lot of pages; and I’m never a fan of slow paced books.

I’m well aware of the original tale of “The White Bride and The Black Bride” and this book has taken in the concept very well. It was mixed in with a little mythology, which I found to be interesting. It also has this Cinderella-like drama where our main character, Rose, goes through the many, many, MANY trials before she finally reaches her happy ending. Well, is that not enough to get you to pick up the book then?

But sadly, the story did not deliver.

As I consume more and more of the pages, the more and more the story gets messy and confusing. My questions just kept piling up without getting much of them answered.

In spite of the effort of creating Rose’s character to be the cliché-kind (kind-hearted, beautiful, hard working, etcetera, etcetera), adding up the fact that she became an orphan after her parents died and being mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister, I didn’t find the heart to pity her. Gosh! I’m so cruel. Forgive me! I guess my problem was that this part was already too expected. There’s nothing new to it.

I also have the question regarding the hierarchy of the gods and goddesses. Most of the time, Artemis was prayed to and called on, now what exactly is Zeus doing? Shouldn’t he be bothered that even the king calls and praises Artemis instead of him? If he has no say in the matter, in spite of being mentioned that men should always sought Zeus out first, this is not quite a solid use of mythology.

I found this book to have too much sorrow and pain. There’s not enough joy and humor that could at least balance it out a bit.

I do have to say that I appreciate the ease of reading this book. It’s light and easy to grasp on but I found it way too dramatic for my taste.

I’m almost done with this series. I believe I need to read 2 more stories and then I’ve finished all the Once upon a time books. Are you guys interested in a recap where I show the best and worst books? This one definitely belongs to the last category. The writing-style wasn't that bad, but the story felt too stretched.

I’m almost done with this series. I believe I need to read 2 more stories and then I’ve finished all the Once upon a time books. Are you guys interested in a recap where I show the best and worst books? This one definitely belongs to the last category. The writing-style wasn't that bad, but the story felt too stretched.

I actually haven’t read the original story, which is ‘The white bride and the black bride’, so that might be part of the reason I didn’t fall in love with it. It all started interesting. Rose’s father is always gone to work, because he feels like it’s important to provide enough money for his family. Rose misses him and her mother makes a wish to her Goddess: she wants prove for Rose that her mother loves her. Upon that wish, her mother dies and a beautiful bush with purple roses starts to grow. The roses always talk to her, telling her that “she is loved” Yeah, great. I think she’d rather have her mother around. When Roses father remarries and dies, Rose needs to survive under the regime of Ombrine and Desirée. This has a Cinderella vibe, where Rose still manages to stay sweet and innocent.

There is also another story, where the King loses his wife and their son during the child-birth. The King is sick with sadness until he sees Rose: she looks exactly like his wife (and I still don’t get why.) He wants to marry her (because it’s all about looks after all), but Rose is transformed into a deer by her Goddess. Desirée takes of Rose appearance with black magic and she marries the King.

The whole Goddess aspect didn’t seem to fit into the story. I found it rather strange and the choices from the Goddess were weird. Killing of her mother and transforming her into a deer? Oh well.. The part where Rose is a deer is extremely slow-paced and stretched. She meets the King, they become friends and in the end we have a happily-ever-after. I did like the idea of them becoming friends and how they bond once Rose is human again. There is no insta-love between them, but I also didn’t feel any connection.

The Rose Bride is a bit of the Cinderella fairy tale, and The Beauty and the Beast fairy tale with magic, sorcery and shape shifting mixed together. The main character is Rose who is the "Cinderella" and the one who is changed into an animal whose spell is broken by love (Beauty and the Beast). Rose has a very evil stepmother Ombrine and stepsister Desiree. There is also King Jean-Marc who lost his first wife and son and who needs to learnI really liked this book. It was very sweet and moving.

The Rose Bride is a bit of the Cinderella fairy tale, and The Beauty and the Beast fairy tale with magic, sorcery and shape shifting mixed together. The main character is Rose who is the "Cinderella" and the one who is changed into an animal whose spell is broken by love (Beauty and the Beast). Rose has a very evil stepmother Ombrine and stepsister Desiree. There is also King Jean-Marc who lost his first wife and son and who needs to learn to love again. Jean-Marc is basically the beast in "Beauty and the Beast" except he is human and not mean. The story has a lot of action in it as well with an actual battle happening, royal hunts going on and magic. Its really cool how the story moves and changes from one fairy tale to the other. It flows seamlessly and is well written.

Rose is the main character and her life is literally a mess. So many bad things happen to this girl that its a wonder she isn't a total wreck or that she hasn't offed herself. She loses everything and when I say everything, I mean Everything: people, belongings, house, her human form. I feel so bad for her. Her losses start at the age of 13 and just continue to pile up. While she does despair when these tragedies occur she is very strong, resilient and endures. She is put through trials by her patron goddess and is able to learn what she is supposed to learn. After everything that happens this girl still manages to learn to love. She is awesome.

Her step-mother is a cruel b****. I mean she is very evil. She is so mean, nasty and conniving. She was a lady of a wealthy husband who died and since falling into peasantry she is obsessed with wealth and riches and does anything to get it. The very first time we meet her she is telling Rose that she is the reason for her father's death. What kind of person tells a kid they never met something like this. She is very greedy and takes possession of all of Rose's family's things all the while complaining about the items. She is also a sorceress who casts a spell over the King to make him fall for Desiree.

Desiree is a little airhead idiot who follows in her mother's footsteps. She is very mean to Rose for no reason. She has no sympathy for Rose even though she was in Rose's shoes not long ago. She is very insulting Rose's parents which made me want to punch her in the face. All she cared about was riches too. I'd say she was more of a glutton than greedy. She is also involved with sorcery although I don't think she had any of the power and her mother does. I get the feeling that Desiree was just another pawn in her mother's plan. But that didn't give her any reason to be so evil like her mother. Both Desiree and Ombrine had a very fitting end.

King Jean-Marc is generally a nice guy. He just let his grief over his first wife and son consume him. When he married again, he did so not out of love but out of want and need for his first wife. He felt his loss deeply which was an opening for Desiree and Ombrine to exploit. He does eventually learn to love instead of need.

I liked the whole theme of the story which was that love can heal everything and its important to know that you are loved. I really liked the roses, the rose garden and the special purple roses and what their meaning is in the story. I just think that hearing the purple roses say "You are loved" over and over for the rest of my life would drive me a bit crazy.

The only thing I can say that was ehh and confused me was the fact that the people in this story are french or at least speak french but worship Greek gods and goddesses. Zeus was Jean-Marc's patron god. Artemis was Rose's. I enjoyed the mythology and how the gods/goddesses interacted with the characters and I'm glad Artemis was featured heavily in the book because she is my favorite Greek goddess. That being said it was very strange to have french speaking Greek gods worshippers. It didn't mesh well with me.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.I admit that I am not familiar with the original version of The White Bride and the Black bride, so can't really say if I like this as a retelling or not.

This novel's version of magic in the form of Greek gods was written well. I liked how each character and family in the story had a patron god or goddess and continually had them involved in their lives.

I also enjoyed the mindset of Rose when she was turned into a deer, she was part human and part animal, and faced those inner conflicts.

My reI admit that I am not familiar with the original version of The White Bride and the Black bride, so can't really say if I like this as a retelling or not.

This novel's version of magic in the form of Greek gods was written well. I liked how each character and family in the story had a patron god or goddess and continually had them involved in their lives.

I also enjoyed the mindset of Rose when she was turned into a deer, she was part human and part animal, and faced those inner conflicts.

My reasoning behind only four stars instead of five was the overlaying mood of the book. From the first sentence you get the feeling that this tale is going to be melancholy, and that's fine. Not every fairy tale starts out happy, and the hero and the heroine of this tale obviously need a conflict in order to make this story satisfying.But how the good overcame bad... felt cheated to me.

The whole point of this novel is the author's interpretation of love and how people learn to really love. The ending for this book about love, felt forced. Jean-Marc's story was so vague that it didn't feel like he really did learn his lesson, so when he married Rose at the end, I personally felt that the story was still sad, even though the good guys are getting back together.

Overall this book did a good job of showing Rose's growth, and if read just to understand her story, it's very satisfying. ...more

Once upon a time in the Land of Beyond, the Crown Prince Jean-Marc marries the lovely Lucienne. The priest of Zeus prophesies a son will be born and heal two broken hearts. Once upon a time in the Forested Land, Rose Marchand waits for her father to arrive home for her 13th birthday. Her loving father has been off chasing more gold for a very long time and Rose and her mother Celestine are left waiting for him to return. All Rose wants for is the love of her father. In the rose garden, CelestineOnce upon a time in the Land of Beyond, the Crown Prince Jean-Marc marries the lovely Lucienne. The priest of Zeus prophesies a son will be born and heal two broken hearts. Once upon a time in the Forested Land, Rose Marchand waits for her father to arrive home for her 13th birthday. Her loving father has been off chasing more gold for a very long time and Rose and her mother Celestine are left waiting for him to return. All Rose wants for is the love of her father. In the rose garden, Celestine prays to the statue of the goddess Artemis that her daughter will always know she is loved for true love never dies and when one has true love, one will always be safe. Celestine gets her wish and Rose must learn her lesson through extreme hardships. She must be brave and remember she is loved if she is to survive the wicked magical plotting of her step-mother and step-sister. Rose tries to remember those who loved her and when she needs a boost, Artemis is there to help. Finally, Rose must help another remember what it is to love and be loved. This story is a typical fairy tale similar to Cinderella. It's well-written and well-developed, but I'm not a big fan of traditional fairy tales so this book just didn't appeal to me. ...more

The lesser known Brothers Grimm tale of “The White Bride and the Black Bride” is used to explore the power of knowing one is loved, thoroughly and truly. In a setting reminiscent of Renaissance France, the gods Zeus and Artemis are worshipped and black magic is used by those with evil intent. Rose’s mother, a beloved favorite of Artemis, makes a dying wish that her daughter may always know that she is loved. The wish is granted, but Rose suffers through great trials beginning with the loss of heThe lesser known Brothers Grimm tale of “The White Bride and the Black Bride” is used to explore the power of knowing one is loved, thoroughly and truly. In a setting reminiscent of Renaissance France, the gods Zeus and Artemis are worshipped and black magic is used by those with evil intent. Rose’s mother, a beloved favorite of Artemis, makes a dying wish that her daughter may always know that she is loved. The wish is granted, but Rose suffers through great trials beginning with the loss of her mother, then her father and then her estate as her hard-hearted stepmother, Ombrine, and her greedy daughter, Desiree, run things into the ground. Through it all Rose struggles with her emotions but always chooses kindness and hears her mother’s flowers whisper “You are loved.” When a chance encounter brings Rose into the path of her unknown half-brother, it is discovered that she is the likeness of the deceased queen that the broken-hearted king is longing for. With black magic, Ombrine makes her daughter into the image of Rose and Desiree marries in her name. Meanwhile, Rose is turned into a deer by Artemis and, in that form, becomes a walking companion and confident for the uncertain king. Ombrine and Desiree determine to wreak more havoc, but all comes to light in the end. Through this and following experiences, the king learns to love Rose not as the image of his dead queen but for herself. While the unusual setting and unfamiliar tale may confuse some readers, others will identify with the desire to be loved for yourself and enjoy the romantic use of magic....more

My goodness! Just when I was beginning to think that I would never see another exceptional "Once Upon A Time" book, I came up with Midnight Pearls and now The Rose Bride.

The Rose Bride is a beautiful adaption to a fairytale ("The White Bride and the Black Bride"- however, I like to compare it to "Hercules" especially since "gods" play a role in a journey). In fact, it is heart-wrenching. The reader has to travel with the main character on a difficult and emotionally challenging journey.

Now, therMy goodness! Just when I was beginning to think that I would never see another exceptional "Once Upon A Time" book, I came up with Midnight Pearls and now The Rose Bride.

The Rose Bride is a beautiful adaption to a fairytale ("The White Bride and the Black Bride"- however, I like to compare it to "Hercules" especially since "gods" play a role in a journey). In fact, it is heart-wrenching. The reader has to travel with the main character on a difficult and emotionally challenging journey.

Now, there is some suggestive material of being intimate (nothing is shown though- it is only spoken of). The evil people do practice sorcery and try to poison others. The main character is tempted to end her and her evil relatives' lives when her step-mother and step-sister destroy her most treasured possession, but she is persuaded not to by the "gods". Overall, this book has barely any flaws.

There was quite a bit I did not like about this book. I think I can handle the total bizarreness of the tale, considering the original. And some things that were irking me throughout the book thankfully were addressed more to my liking, but near the end. I think what mostly I did not like was the writing. I thought it was terrible. For many reasons. Some of it made we want to throw up it was so cheesy and blech. The insistent inclusion of French in a make-believe world just never got to me. AndThere was quite a bit I did not like about this book. I think I can handle the total bizarreness of the tale, considering the original. And some things that were irking me throughout the book thankfully were addressed more to my liking, but near the end. I think what mostly I did not like was the writing. I thought it was terrible. For many reasons. Some of it made we want to throw up it was so cheesy and blech. The insistent inclusion of French in a make-believe world just never got to me. And some of the writing techniques were jerky and left me confused (or annoyed). I wasn't all together thrilled with the book, nor did I enjoy it a whole lot. But I was intrigued enough to see how the happy ending would come about, and determined to finish the book in this series and this was the 2nd to last to read....more

I had actually never heard of this fairy tale, so before reading the book I did a little research on this Brother's Grimm fairy tale. Quite similar to Cinderella but with some more gruesome details.

I got a little bored with the book at times. I don't believe Holder is as good as some of the other author's in this Once Upon a Time series. She took a lot of her story from Ever After and even mentioned in her notes that it was a lot of her inspiration. This made me feel like she wasn't writing anI had actually never heard of this fairy tale, so before reading the book I did a little research on this Brother's Grimm fairy tale. Quite similar to Cinderella but with some more gruesome details.

I got a little bored with the book at times. I don't believe Holder is as good as some of the other author's in this Once Upon a Time series. She took a lot of her story from Ever After and even mentioned in her notes that it was a lot of her inspiration. This made me feel like she wasn't writing an original retelling that she made up herself. She did retell the actual fairy tale somewhat well and a little clearer than the original, but I thought she got caught up in unneeded details and drew out dialogue a little too long. It was an interesting story none the less hence the 3 stars....more

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.

Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family tNancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.

Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.

Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.

Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.

She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.

She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.

She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.

She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training....more